1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a multifunction peripheral (MFP), and more particularly to an MFP comprising a hard output unit having a display and a control unit.
2. Description of Related Art
One type of high output printer comprises a hard output unit and a control unit. The hard output unit typically comprises essentially a photocopier, and the control unit comprises a specialized server computer having a local area network (LAN) interface, an interface to the hard output unit, and hardware and software which permit users on the LAN to use the hard output unit. The hard output unit and the control unit are separate, although it is known to provide a LAN interface and a controller on a card which is installed in a copier. Without the control unit, the hard output unit is limited to functioning as a stand alone copier.
For a user interface (UI), the hard output unit includes an alphanumeric display, typically an LCD, and a user input means, such as panel buttons. The user may read various information from the display, and may use the user input means for controlling the operation of the hard output unit. The hard output unit includes a controller, such as a microprocessor and ROM, which store user interface programs and cause the display to display status and control information. In both printing and copying, the display is typically used to show information about the status of the copy or print job. In these typical systems, all of the UI controls are stored in and controlled by the hard output unit.
Because the printer can also copy, these devices are generally considered to be MFPs. More recently, it has become common to utilize MFPs to provide various functions such as printing, copying, scanning and faxing. If more functions and features are included in an MFP, its user interface generally becomes more complex.
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide an MFP comprising a hard output unit and a control unit. It is a further object of the invention to provide user interfaces for the MFP features in the hard output unit. It is a further object of the invention to provide a convenient means for revising UI definitions in the hard output unit.